Government on the Edge

It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself.
--Thomas Jefferson

There has been a surfeit of stories recently about peculiar behaviours and decisions by our federal government. Better minds than mine are perplexed at what's going on.

After the rudderless Martin government was booted from office it was a relief to have Harper installed as prime minister. A minority Conservative government seemed a sure cure since they would be restrained from going off in any radical directions while also bringing a sense of normalcy and stability under Harper's moderating influence. Martin, for all his personal qualities, proved far better at attaining power than wielding it.

As time has gone on, and with no fundamental changes due a subsequent election and a stillborn constitutional crisis, the veneer of civility has been wearing thin on the government side of the house. For me this became more noticable during a recent spate of news. In no particular order these include:

• The government getting bullied by the courts to come to the defense of a death row inmate in the US. This is more interesting in regards to the 'punishment' ideology of the government since Smith's life is almost entirely out of our hands, which I believe is appropriate.
• The stain of religious fundamentalism on science policy that is undermining some very promising Canadian-based scientific research and our international credibility. These guys, including the science minister, don't even seem to understand why they're being ridiculed.
  
• Opaque, cruel and likely unconstitutional treatment of a falsely-accused citizen, by preventing him from coming home under a series of even more outrageous reasons. This charade started with the previous Liberal government and the Conservatives are more than eager to carry this sputtering torch.
• A seemingly unending flip-flopping of positions and opinions on the economy and recession that only serves to demonstrate just how flummoxed the government is in regards to figuring what, if anything, to say or do. One day everything is fine, the next it's the end of the world as we know it, then everything's coming up roses again or at least it's not as bad as it might be. All while the course of the economy spirals ever downward and we throw ourselves into a generation-long pit of national debt.
• Uncompromising, not-our-problem approach to our one Guantanamo prisoner despite tampered evidence, his qualification as a child soldier, and lack of legal transparency and due process.
• Possible interference into the timing of a TSB report on a subject that was seemingly nonthreatening to the government, only because there was a slight risk of poor optics during the election.

I titled this post as I did because the Conservative government appears to be walking along a fence that is becoming ever narrower. On one side the fence is being gradually eaten away by the more extremist elements from within their own party, while on the other side is the increasingly-successful scrutiny of the media and opposition parties. That fence is getting to be so narrow that I have a feeling Harper will ultimately fall from his perch, either into the arms of his party's more extreme core constituency or into the maws of his enemies. It's all very interesting.

Is this good for Canada? I wish I knew the answer to that question. Perhaps the more-important question is, if not Harper are we ready for a resurgent Liberal party under Ignatieff? That troubles me since I am not convinced that the Liberals are all that terribly reformed from their previous corrupt practices, and I have absolutely no idea what sort of government Ignatieff would provide. Either way, 2009 is turning into a most interesting year in Canadian politics.